PATTRIKA - Bulletin of The French Research Institutes in India

The last witnesses of Tamil Cankam poetry

As well as being engaged in the cataloguing of UNESCO's Memory of the World collection "The Shaiva Manuscripts of Pondicherry", the EFEO has in recent years been attempting to digitize manuscripts of the earliest works of classical Tamil. Copying of these works by hand has ceased, and so the last surviving manuscript witnesses are succumbing to the ineluctable ravages of time. Heat, humidity and insect larvae reduce the shelf life of most South Indian manuscripts to about 200 years. The oldest texts of Cankam Tamil are anthologies of poems of love and war - allusive and often hauntingly evocative poems that richly reward the careful study they demand. A few have become celebrated through the radiant prose translations of the late A.K. Ramanujan of the University of Chicago.

What She Said

Bigger than earth, certainly,
Higher than the sky,
more unfathomable than the waters
is this love for this man
of the mountain slopes
where bees make rich honey
from the flowers of the kurinci
that has such black stalks

(A.K. Ramanujan’s translation of Kuruntokai 3)

Although published in learned editions, this literature has never been critically edited: in other words, many variant readings have not been published, and such variants which appear in footnotes have generally not been ascribed to the sources that transmit them. What this means is that even the recent transmission history has not been recorded, a history which can provide vital clues for constituting and interpreting these remarkable texts.

The most significant collection of manuscripts of this corpus is in Chennai, in the library of the great U. Ve. Saminatha Iyer, the man widely credited with the resurrection of Classical Tamil in the last century. After signing an MOU with the U.Ve. Saminatha Iyer Library (UVSL) last year, the EFEO has been digitizing their palm-leaf and paper manuscripts. On 11th March 2006, the UVSL organised a function in the presence of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Madras, Dr. S.P. Thyagarajan, in order to celebrate the successful completion of the first phase of this collaboration. Digital photographs of manuscripts of the eight Cankam anthologies, the 10 songs and various smaller works were presented by Dr. Eva Wilden from the Tamil section of the EFEO to Prof. V.C. Kulandaiswamy, Head of the Board of the Library.

The EFEO will now digitize further parts of the manuscript collection, focusing first on early texts on rhetoric, but also on the literary epics and the so-called "minor" classics. Meanwhile, the specialists of Tamil in the EFEO continue to work towards a critical edition of the Cankam corpus.

Contact:
Dominic Goodall, dominic.goodall@efeo.pondicherry.org (The Shaiva Manuscripts of Pondicherry)
Eva Wilden, eva.wilden@efeo.net (Tamil Cankam Literature)

PUBLICATIONS
	CSH
	Peri-Urban Dynamics: Population, Habitat and Environment on the Peripheries of Large Indian Metropolises. A review of concepts and general issues Véronique Dupont (ed.) CSH Occasional Paper 14, CSH, New Delhi, 2005, 144p Specific forms of urbanisation are evolving on the peripheries of the large developing metropolises. These processes of periurbanisation result in the formation of "mixed spaces", midway between urban centres and rural spaces - transitional spaces subject to rapid and multiple transformations: physical, morphological, socio-demographic, cultural and functional. Our initial hypothesis in order to understand these processes is that within the metropolitan areas 'location' is never neutral. The urban peripheries do not constitute a simple framework of analysis, but a specific space in which settlement patterns, and land use correspond to diverse and often conflicting stakes, indicative of processes signifying a political and societal vision of the city and access to it. Mixed spaces, apportioned between populations with contrasting lifestyles and varied land-use, peri-urban spaces are also disputed spaces, bringing into play divergent and even conflicting interests. The need for housing, especially by the poor, the development and maintenance of greenbelts and new industrial zones, enter into competition. The papers included in this first volume of the series of three Occasional Papers on periurban dynamics highlight the forces that govern peri-urbanisation and reflect upon the main issues at stake, as presented in the introduction (Véronique Dupont). They also attempt, more specifically, to refine the concepts related to the 'peri-urban' spatial category, and to better define and delimit this research 'object'. The authors examine not only the literature related to the Indian and Asian metropolises (Hans Schenk), as well as other developing countries (Suresh Rohilla), but also explore the concepts and models elaborated to analyse the evolution of the western metropolis, drawing in particular on the North American case (Paul Jargowsky, Pushpa Arabindoo) and the French case (Philippe Cadène).
	Periurbanisation in Tamil Nadu: a quantitative approach Sébastien Oliveau CSH Occasional Paper 15, CSH-IFP, New Delhi, 2005, 90p In a context of fast socio-economic transition, the primary role of towns on rural change is to question. By endeavouring to free ourselves of ideological baggage (rural or urban bias), this paper is an attempt to measure the extent of periurbanisation that has taken place in Tamil Nadu. This work is based on geographical date, based on the 1991 census for Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. The author undertook a systematic exploration of the relation between the 225 urban areas and the 16,085 villages of Tamil Nadu in order to estimate the influence of the urban areas on the surrounding villages. After re-examining the definition of urban areas, this paper underlines the diversity of periurbanisation, not only according to the type of town, but also on the basis of accessibility to these towns.
	Instability at the Gate: India's Troubled Northeast and its External Connections Renaud Egreteau CSH Occasional Paper 16, CSH, New Delhi, 2006, 158p India's Northeast has long been described as a remote and sensitive area, racially and culturally disconnected to mainland India but strategically attached to it. Expressions of ethnic identities since India's independence have been very blunt in the whole region and many sub-nationalists developed a strong separatist stream from the late 1940s. Rapidly, the ethnic struggle became a well-organised and multidimensional militancy which took up arms and launched various enduring insurgencies against India's central government. Facing a stronger military response by New Delhi, the few separatist groups that had burgeoned in the region turned rapidly radical. Moreover, most of them had found in the local population their main back-up: the "Robin-Hood' syndrome they had created enabled them to benefit from a wide popular support. This paper intends first to give a brief overview of the rise and growth of some of those separatist groups, with a special focus on the Nagas, the Mizos and the Assam movement. Insurgency took different forms in the Northeast as ethnic leaders chose different paths, means and patrons to pursue their struggle for recognition and/or separatism. Indeed, most of the armed ultras soon criminalised their activities in order to sustain their struggle. An analysis of the degeneration of these sub-nationalist movements into mere criminal groups have been proposed in this paper. With the Indian Armed Forces having more and more capacities and discretionary power of action, insurgency has radicalized its forms and activities. The criminalisation process will be broached by focusing the study on few separatist groups that have dropped their original revolutionary and lofty ideals to concentrate their struggle on easy money and underground activities, in spite of the fact that individualised interests, internecine rivalries and indiscriminate violence have often turned the population against those outfits. Finally, how has the externality of the insurgency influenced this phenomenon? The third part of the paper will propose an overview of the rapid externalisation of all the insurgent groups. The linkages they have established across borders enabled them to obtain friendly support (Pakistan), funding (China, LTTE) and strategic shelter (Burma, Bangladesh). We will attempt to demonstrate how these external connections fuelled the instability in the Northeast and conceptualised their struggle and survival. However, in the meantime, the external factor could also be the solution to the problem: by opening up the Northeast and developing it as a result of a more globalised local economy, the stalemate could also be overcome.
	IFP
	Maram. Multipurpose tree database for agroecosystem research and appropriate management Santoshagouda V. Patil, Pondicherry-Montpellier, IFP/CIRAD, 2005 (CD-ROM), (CE no. 43) Language: English. Rs 300 (11 €) MARAM, whose title means 'tree' in more than one South Indian language, is a computer-aided database product endowed with considerable information on farm tree multiple uses - indeed the first of its kind in an electronic format in the peninsular Indian context. It covers a total of 269 woody species comprising 19 endemics from 544 small, medium and large farms spread over 61 districts in three states, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is a useful and user-friendly product for all stakeholders of agroforestry such as researchers, fieldworkers and the farming community at large, on choice of species, their management and potential uses. The CD-ROM graphically illustrates the morphology, management practices, products and ecological services offered by such trees with the help of over 1500 vivid illustrations. Keywords: agro-ecological zones, agroforestry, farmland, homegarden, multipurpose tree database, South India, tree-based systems.
	Mangroves v1.0. A multimedia identification system of mangroves species of South-East India and Sri Lanka J. Prosperi (et al.), Pondicherry-Montpellier, IFP/CIRAD, 2005, (CD-ROM), (CE no. 44) Language: English. Rs 300 (11 €) Mangroves is a graphical identification system of plant species, the only tool of its kind available on South-Asian Mangroves at present. The system, entirely graphic, enables non-specialists to make determinations with the help of just a small number of characters, chosen according to their availability for the particular plant to be identified. It meets the needs of amateur botanists, agronomists, forest officers and nature lovers with a keen sense of observation. The use of frequently observable vegetative characters has been favoured, as well as an extensive illustration of species. The major part of the work presented in this CD-ROM was carried out in the framework of the European Commission funded project entitled "Assessment of mangroves degradation and resilience in the Indian subcontinent: The cases of Godavari Estuary and southwest Sir Lanka". Keywords: botany, computer-aided identification, mangroves, vegetative characters.
	Microfinance en Asie. Entre traditions et innovations Isabelle Guerin, Kamala Marius-Gnanou, Thierry Pairault & Jean-Michel Servet (eds.), IFP-IRD-Karthala, 2005, 2229p Language: French. 18 € (Distributed by Editions Karthala) The objective of this book is to show, beyond particular political and social contexts, the main challenges microfinance organisations have to deal with today. The book is divided in three parts: the institutionalization of informal finance practices, the linkage of microfinance and public policies and the ability of microfinance to combat inequalities or to promote democratic practices and empowerment. Microfinance appears to be the fruit of a permanent co-production based on crossbreeding and hybridization where "tradition" and "innovation" interact and enrich themselves mutually. The authors conclude by inquiring as to its future. Without lapsing into pessimism, they are wary of any optimism that would blind them to the known weaknesses of microfinance institutions and their practices. Keywords: microfinance, inequality, public policy, informal finance.
	Sabdabodhamimamsa. An inquiry into Indian theories of verbal cognition. Part II Subarthavicaratmakah. Case terminations and their significance N.S. Ramanuja Tatacharya, IFP/Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, 2006, xi, 69, 940p (CI no. 100.2) Language: Sanskrit. (Distributed by the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi) Under the project entitled "An Inquiry into Indian Theories of Verbal Cognition" consisting of four volumes, the present one is the second in the series. It deals with the significance of the nominal case terminations. In this volume, Professor Ramanuja Tatacharya offers a profound and well-organised account of the views of the Naiyayikas, Vaiyakaranas and the Mimamsa in regard to this subject. Clearness of thought, soundness of reasoning, and freedom from bias underlie the presentation of the viewpoints of the authors of these schools of thought. Keywords: Indian philosophy, sastra-s, verbal cognition.
	IFP/EFEO
	Senji (Gingee). A fortified city in the Tamil country Jean Deloche, IFP/EFEO, 2005, 391p, 334 plates, 44 figs & 1 folded map (CI no. 101) Language: English. Rs 1500 (54 €) Senji, immortalized by Desing's ballad, still popular in South India, is a significant place in the Tamil country. Successively occupied by the Hindus of Vijayanagar, the Nayakas, the Muslims of Bijapur, the Marathas, the Mughals and finally by the French in 1750, it was, at the end of the 16th century, one of the biggest cities of the peninsula. This study is an attempt to make an analysis of both the written documents and of the archeological investigation: it is an essay at the junction of several disciplines (archaeology, history and human geography), trying to show the evolution of the defence systems of the stronghold, the development of the urban centre, as well as the different aspects of water and grain storage, which are at the root of its surprising growth. Keywords: Tamilnadu (India), 17th-18th century, fortifications, urbanism, water and grain storage.
	The Pancavaranastava of Aghorasivacarya. A twelfth-century South Indian prescription for the visualization of Sadasiva and his retinue Editors: Dominic Goodall, Nibedita Rout, R. Sathyanarayanan, S.A.S. Sarma, T. Ganesan, S. Sambandhasivacarya, IFP/EFEO, 2005, 237p, (26) p. of ill. (CI no.102) Language: Sanskrit, English. Rs 500 (18 €) This volume presents a critical edition of a once celebrated liturgical hymn in 100 verses by Aghorasiva. That twelfth-century theologian of Chidambaram is known for his commentaries and for his ritual manuals: the Mrgendrapaddhati and the Kriyakramadyotika. The latter, completed in 1157 AD, remains one of the principal authorities for the performance of ritual in South Indian Saiva temples today. In his Pancavaranastava, "Praise of the Five Circuits", Aghorasiva shows how the central deity of the Saiva Siddhanta should be visualised in worship. The initiate should see the benign, white, consortless, five-faced and ten-armed Sadasiva enthroned on an eight-petalled lotus. Arranged around him in five concentric rings are anthropomorphic forms of the 11 mantras that are his heads and body-parts, then eight souls that administer the universe, then eight members of his family, the 10 divinities that protect the directions, and finally the anthropomorphized weapons of those protectors. Annotation and a selection of photographs accompany the text. Keywords: Saivism, prayer, visualization, iconography.
	Putucceri Manilakkalvettukkal. Pondicherry Inscriptions. Part 1. Introduction and texts with notes Compiled by Bahour S. Kuppusamy; edited by G. Vijayavenugopal, IFP/EFEO, 2006, xxvii, lix, 537p. (CI no. 83.1) Language: Tamil, English. Rs 800 (29 €) The inscriptions gathered together in this volume, most of which are published here for the first time, are found in the Union Territory of Pondicherry and span a period from the 9th to the 19th centuries. There are 545 in total: only those on tombstones have been excluded. They belong to various dynasties, such as the Rashtrakutas, Cholas, later Pallavas, Pandiyas, the Vijayanagara dynasty and the Sambhuvarayas. The overwhelming majority of them are written in Tamil, but Sanskrit, Telegu, Latin and French are also represented. The text of each inscription is preceded by a short summary, and information about prior publications, about its location and date (in Indian and Christian reckonings), and about the dynasty and king under whose reign it was composed. A preface by Leslie Orr maps the inscriptions in their historical context and is followed by an elaborate introduction in Tamil. CSH-IFP: We would like to announce the release of the CSH & IFP Activity Report 2006. It contains an exhaustive list of publications of 2005, including articles, book chapters, reports et al. http://www.csh-delhi.com http://www.ifpindia.org EFEO articles of the last year may be found in the monthly issues of the EFEO's Agenda (http://www.efeo.fr)


	May 2006, No. 21